Single White Dot on Royal Gramma?

Diver4242 · Aug 11, 2020

I have a Royal Gramma that's been in my 13.5g nano tank for about ten days (along with two Ocellaris Clownfish and a couple of blue-leg hermits and trochus snails). It seems pretty happy/active, darting in and out of the live rock. Parameters are all good.

This morning I noticed a single white dot just below its dorsal fin, about the size of the point of a pencil. I don't see any on the other fish or this one, nothing on their tails or fins. Attaching a pic of it.

It's been there all day, anything to be concerned about or action I should take?

Jay Hemdal · Aug 11, 2020

That doesn’t look like any specific disease, possibly an injury? I hesitate to suggest a course of action, not knowing what it is. It is a pretty large lesion though.
Jay

Zionas · Aug 13, 2020

My bets are that it’s an injury of some kind, maybe inflicted by one of your rocks or a crab. The white part could be the start of Lymph. Just keep feeding well and maintaining good water and it should clear up.

Diver4242 · Aug 15, 2020

The white spot is getting bigger. I tested water myself, parameters are spot on. Also had the LFS test it today. I sent them this video also to see if they could diagnose. My clowns (which show up briefly here) are fine. Any diagnosis? Thanks!

Diver4242 · Aug 19, 2020

Yesterday the Royal Gramma didn't come out at all. The day before it was active as usual (and this spot was growing). I saw a small portion of its tail in the live rock. I moved a piece of the rock and I think it moved away, but it still never came out, even at feeding time. Same this morning. I can't spot it.

Is it hibernating? Dead? I hate to disassemble my hardscape to try to get to it. Thanks for any assistance.

Zionas · Aug 19, 2020

Man, sorry to hear that. I don’t know. I am still suspecting a wound that got infected.

Jay Hemdal · Aug 19, 2020

Diver4242 said:
Yesterday the Royal Gramma didn't come out at all. The day before it was active as usual (and this spot was growing). I saw a small portion of its tail in the live rock. I moved a piece of the rock and I think it moved away, but it still never came out, even at feeding time. Same this morning. I can't spot it.

Is it hibernating? Dead? I hate to disassemble my hardscape to try to get to it. Thanks for any assistance.

Dying fish often tuck into rock crevices, in the wild, that protects them from predators. If your tank is larger than about 40 gallons, I’d just leave it to decompose. Sounds awful, but it won’t cause an ammonia spike, and tearing the rock work out is stressful to everything else. In a smaller tank, it could degrade the water, so you would want to pull it.
Jay